//------------------------------// // 19 - All's Fair // Story: Age of Kings // by A bag of plums //------------------------------// Emerald Edge’s next two matches were tough, but she managed to scrape by, winning both by the skin of her teeth. As she sat in the dens, healing from her bruises and cuts, the royal spymaster looked to the future, wondering how it would all work out once she had the shield. According to Jade Crystal, the portal back home only opened once every thirty moons. Emerald had yet to test if it were actually true. She wondered if she would be able to walk through the stone monument when the time was right, like how she got here. Then there was the case of the friends she had made here and… Sir Morn Dread. She knew she would have to leave them for Equestria, no matter what. Her princess and her friends back home counted on her to defeat Sombra; she couldn’t let them down now. Emerald didn’t know how she would deal with that when the time came. She could tell herself that it wouldn’t be so hard, that all she had to do was go back through the portal, but would it actually be that easy? There was no way for her to find out until the time came. “The Crystal Empire needs you, Emerald,” she told herself as she stood up, ready for the next round. “Your duty lies with your home, not this world.” She left the dens, thoughts of her home in her mind. Maybe, just maybe, she would be able to come back and visit this world from time to time, just to be with her friends here. “ARE YOU READY FOR ANOTHER ROUND?” she heard the loud voice of the announcing man. “THIS ONE’S A BIG ONE AS WE COME CLOSE TO THE END OF OUR TOURNAMENT!” Emerald could hear the cheers of the crowds, very excited for the coming fight. She wondered who her opponent was. Surely they wouldn’t be cheering for her, right? After all, she was a foreigner to these lands. “THE FIGHTER WHO CAME OUT OF NOWHERE, WE HAVE THE SKILLFUL EMERALD EDGE!” The cheering intensified. Emerald pulled her hood lower, trying to keep the praises from going to her head. This much attention to herself was definitely unnecessary. “AND FOR HER OPPONENT, WE HAVE ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE… SIR MORN DREAD OF CANTERLOT!” Emerald Edge stopped in her tracks for a few seconds as she took the information in. Her opponent was Sir Morn. Finally, her time had come to show her mentor just how well she’d adapted to her human body and her new skills with a sword. This is it, Emerald. Time to show him what you’re made of. The former pegasus stepped out into the arena, keeping her eyes down as she watched her opponent ready his sword on the opposite end of the battlefield. “Are you ready, my lady?” the knight called out to her, his voice slightly muffled from his helmet. Emerald nodded her answer across the space and drew her sword from its sheath, readying it in her hands, poised for combat. At the same time, both combatants approached each other at a jogging speed, steadily covering the distance. Emerald Edge swung first, aiming her sword for Sir Morn’s side. The knight parried her strike and followed up with a undercut slash, which the spymaster aptly dodged. “You’ve gotten better since I last trained you, Emerald,” Sir Morn locked blades with the spymaster. “Very impressive.” “It’s my duty to learn and adapt, Sir Morn,” she replied with a smile. “I am not the royal spymaster for nothing.” The crowds continued to cheer for both combatants as they took turns to strike each other, both looking for an opening to end the battle. Morn went down on a knee and avoided one of Emerald’s horizontal slashes, delivering one of his own at her feet. The spymaster jumped up and somersaulted over the knight’s head, slashing down as she passed him, only for Morn to block her attack and push up with a hand, catching her in the gut, throwing her in front. Emerald rolled for a few feet, stopping by pressing her greaves on the ground. Sir Morn Dread was already on her, bringing down his blade for Emerald. She dodged to the side, but she felt his weapon connect with her side. Thankfully, it had only been the flat of his weapon, though it knocked her down again. “Footing, my lady,” Sir Morn said, allowing her a second more to get up before advancing again. “Keep your footing.” He waited until Emerald charged at him again, jumping to the side and spinning her blade in a circle. She clashed her steel against his steel in the air, then kicked out a foot at the knight before falling to the ground, catching Sir Morn in the right thigh, sending him down on one knee. Now’s my chance! Emerald picked up her sword and brought it down in a vertical strike, only for the knight to block up with his sword, Clarent. The royal spymaster pushed against him, seeing as she had the footing and he didn’t, but Sir Morn would not budge. He held his sword high and pushed higher, getting back to his feet and bringing it down towards Emerald, almost pushing her to her knees. Emerald remembered what Moon Tide said about helping Sir Morn with her thoughts. The spymaster pictured other things in her head, trying to push Morn out of her mind. Now wasn’t the time to get sloppy, thinking about leaving this world behind. Her empire came first and always first. Exhaling, the former pegasus dropped her sword and lunged for the side, using Morn’s force to send his body forward. Spinning around, she extended a hidden blade and was about to press it to his neck when the knight rolled forward instead, coming up on the other side, his blade tip pointing at her. “I won’t fall for the same move a second time, my lady,” he smirked. Emerald knocked his weapon away and slid in, using the close quarters to try and push him down. Instead, Morn went low and tackled her down, falling on top of her. Emerald used his momentum and rolled slightly back, planting her armored feet against the knight’s chest and pushing up and towards her head, throwing Sir Morn over her and down behind her. She recovered and rushed for her sword, only to be hit in the gut by the flat of Sir Morn’s blade just as she reached out for her weapon. How did he get up so fast? And the flat again? That can’t be an accident. “Sir Morn, what are you doing?” Emerald asked him, skirting around him, keeping an eye on her sword. “You have hit me with the flat of your blade twice now. Surely that cannot be a coincidence?” “Purely coincidence, my lady,” he smiled and stuck his sword tip out. “Now come. Time waits for no one.” The crowds had suddenly grown silent, almost as if they were waiting for something that they knew was to come. Maybe the end of the match. Emerald narrowed her eyes, but rushed for her sword, dodging to the right as Sir Morn swung his weapon. At the last moment, she kicked off his arm and rolled over her sword, picking it up and standing up opposite the knight, swinging it at his shoulder. Sir Morn looked up at her sword, then almost like he had just decided to give up, he turned to face it, stepping back and away from her blow. What? Then he tripped over his own foot and stumbled down, falling on his back as Emerald pushed the sword down against his chest, metal clinking against metal. “It seems you have won, my lady.” Sir Morn rubbed at his head and grinned. Like a wave coming back to shore, the crowds burst out in cheers, raining praises down on Emerald from the stands, starting to cheer her name. Emerald should’ve been happy that she had made it another round, but she wasn’t. She had expected a fair and proper fight from the knight, but now she knew he hadn’t been giving it his all since the beginning. He made it easy for her. “How could you…” she lifted her sword away and frowned at the knight. Morn’s eyebrows knitted in confusion. “What?” She looked up into his eyes and slammed her sword back into its sheath. “I wanted a fair fight, Sir Morn. You gave me that win on purpose. I didn’t want you to go easy on me…” Then she stormed past him, her greaves clanking against the arena floor as she made for the tunnels. Sir Morn Dread pushed to his feet and ran after her, unsure of what just happened between them. “My lady, let me explain.” Sir Morn followed closely behind Emerald Edge as they returned to the dens. Emerald was infuriated. How could he do such a thing? “Did you not trust in my skills, Sir Morn?” She turned to face the knight. “Did you not think I could win?” “No, nothing like that.” He wore an innocent face. “Then why did you purposely fall?” Emerald pointed a finger at him. “Don’t think I did not know. That opening was deliberate. You let me win.” “Yes, I did, but-” “Why? I wanted to win on my own strength,” Emerald calmed down a little. There wasn’t any point to shout it all out. “Instead, you took the fall and lost. Why?” “Your quest is more important than anything I have ever undertaken, my lady,” Sir Morn placed a hand on her shoulder. “And also…” He paused for a long while. “What?” Emerald waited for him to speak. “What do you want to say?” “Also…” Sir Morn raised his hand to the spymaster’s cheek. “I… I’ve fallen in love with you, Lady Emerald.” Emerald’s eyes widened themselves. “You-you what, Sir Morn…?” Her cheeks grew red against her green skin. “I do, my lady.” He looked into her purple eyes. “All this time I’ve spent with you, I’ve learnt your ways and your habits, and I’ve come to care for you very deeply. You are everything to me, Emerald. I could not hurt you, even for the sake of a tournament. When you are with me, I feel I can do anything.” “Sir Morn… I…” Emerald didn’t know what to say. She knew her own feelings for him, but she didn’t think it was a good idea. The knight rubbed a thumb across her soft cheek. “Do you… Do you feel the same way?” Emerald sighed, but decided to go with the truth. She needed to. “I do, Sir Morn,” she nodded. “I love you, perhaps too much. My empire… It needs me. I’m torn between leaving this world and saving my home. It’s just too much for me…” “Why can you not have both?” he leaned closer. “Saving your kingdom should come first, but why can you not come back to visit? To be with me?” “I don’t know if it is possible, Sir Morn…” Emerald placed her hand over his, wrapping her fingers around his. “I can only enter your world once every thirty moons, and I don’t know if it will always work.” “Then we shall make it work, my lady.” He smiled peacefully at her, making the spymaster’s blush grow brighter. “We will find a way. I love you, my lady.” “Sir Morn…” Slowly leaning closer, the knight placed his lips against Emerald’s, ever so softly. The spymaster closed her eyes and leaned into him, placing a hand on his cheek. She couldn’t deny her feelings anymore. She loved him, and he loved her. What was the point of trying to suppress them, Emerald couldn’t remember now. Even if they were worlds apart, she would never forget him and she would only regret it the rest of her life if she didn’t tell him how she felt. But he was right. If she loved him, she would find a way back, after she defeated Sombra. “Thank you, Sir Morn,” she breathed as their lips separated. “You’ve shown me there is hope, even in these little things.” “For you, my lady, I shall do anything.” He wrapped his arms around her and held her in his embrace. Emerald leaned against his chest and placed her arms around his back. Perhaps this was meant to be. It didn’t matter if he was human. Emerald had fallen in love with the knight, and she was fine with it. She had never loved anypony like this before, but she knew her true feelings for him. “My, oh my, my son is all grown up.” Moon Tide stood by the staircase leading up, a hand on her chin, a wide smile on her face. “Oh, Moon Tide!” Emerald’s face grew all red as she moved away from the knight. “Umm…” “Please, do not let me stop you,” Moon Tide breathed in and walked over. “Son, I’m proud of you. Instead of trying to win, you’ve sacrificed it to help another. Nothing makes a knight more valiant than giving up his wants for someone else. “And Emerald,” she turned to the spymaster a placed a hand atop her armored shoulder. “There is no one else in the world that would make me happier to see beside Morn.” “Oh, well…” Emerald rubbed at her arm sheepishly. “Thank you, Moon Tide.” “And I hope that when you save your home from that terrible usurper, you will find a way to return here whenever you like. Now, come. I shall tend to your wounds.” “What about Sir- oh.” Emerald remembered the knight’s powers. Even so, she hadn’t managed to even hurt him all match. “Yes, my lady.” Sir Morn held one of her hands as she sat down for Moon Tide to treat her bruises. “I shan’t need my mother’s healing.” Sir Morn hadn’t wounded her at all, but she had some bruises from where he had hit her with the flat of his blade and from falling to the stony floor a few times. “Don’t you worry, Emerald,” Moon Tide rubbed a green paste on the spymaster’s arms. “You’ll have a longer break before the final match, so you may rest up more.” “Final match?” Emerald widened her eyes and let her jaw drop slightly. “I’m at the final match? You mean I just need to win one more?” “That’s right,” Moon Tide crooned, applying more paste. “One more match and the shield is yours. I’m sure that your queen- ahem, princess will be proud of you for coming so far. I know mine would be.” “One more match…” Emerald repeated. Was it all true? Was she that close to finishing what she had to do here? All she had to do now was finish one more fight. “I’m almost there...” “You can do it, Emerald,” Morn gave her hand a light squeeze. “You are strong and you adapt so very quickly. Whoever wins, Sir Lionheart or Sir Prancelot, I’m sure you will find a way to leave victorious.” “Sir Lionheart and Sir Prancelot?” Emerald remembered the former, meeting him in the castle the night she and Morn had dinner together. As for Sir Prancelot, he was a mystery to her, though she’d heard the stories of the valiant knight. He was supposed to be the king’s best knight. “It will not be easy, but give it your best, Emerald,” Moon Tide rubbed her fingers on her robes and placed her bottle back in her basket. “Anything’s possible if you have the will for it.” “That’s the thing, Moon Tide,” Emerald looked between the mage and the knight. “I… I don’t want to leave you all behind, but I have to go back, I know that. I don’t know what to think anymore. You all are important to me too. I’m just… I’m so conflicted right now.” Moon Tide smiled warmly at Emerald, patting her on the arm. “Whatever you choose, I’m sure it will be for the best.” “I suppose so…” Emerald sighed and leaned back. “Now, my lady,” Sir Morn said. “Don’t let these thoughts take up your mind now, especially not during the final round. You cannot afford to be distracted.” “Indeed. Good luck with your next match, Emerald. My son and I will be cheering you on.” Done packing up, the blue haired mage left the dens, likely heading back to the stands where she could be ready to provide assistance if necessary. “The day is almost at its end, Emerald,” Morn moved himself beside the spymaster, sitting down on the bench. “By the sun’s set, may you be walking back to your world’s portal, shield in hand.” “That’s only if I win, Sir Morn. What if I lose? My kingdom needs me as soon as possible.” “I’m with you, my lady,” Sir Morn wrapped his arms around the former pegasus. “I am sure you will be triumphant. You will do what you must. Your kingdom will always come first, before anything else.” “You’re right, Sir Morn,” Emerald smiled and leaned against him. “I am glad I met you. You are indeed a wonderful human. Now, shouldn’t you be getting to the stands to watch me win this?” “There is still some time,” the knight stayed, unmoving. “I shall sit with you before you proceed back outside.”